Method of cleaning and lubricating firearms and other metal articles



March 1 1949- 5. w. SUTHERLAND 2,464,730

I METHOD OF CLEANING AND LUBRIQATING FIREARMS AND OTHER METAL; ARTICLES Filed April 4, 1942 2 Sheets-Shoot 1 Fntented ar. 15., 3949 Eran star essence PEETHQD F @LEANHZG AND LUBMCA'EING manners m WEBER METAL nn'rrms ii @lalm.

. g g This invention relates to method of cleaning and lubricating fire-arms and other metal articles and has for its object the production of an apparatus in which a plurality of metal objects may be simultaneously cleaned and lubricated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a manually operated mechanism by which the supporting screen may be raised in the tank whenever said cover is raised sumciently to perneit admission of air to said tank.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby the oil in the tank may be heated to a desired temperature and the actual temperature of the oil indicated by a suit= able device for this purpose.

A still further object of the invention is the provision at one end of the tank of an air pump, an air gauge, and a relief vent, these devices combining to. regulate the pressure of the air within said tank.

These objects are all attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The invention consists of an air tight oil tank in which the articles to be cleaned may be deposited during the cleaning operation, said tank having associated therein means for heating the oil in said tank and a motor-driven fan for agitating the oil in which the articles to be cleaned are supported on a wire screen adapted to be raised or lowered as desired.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, one preferred form thereof is shown in the drawings, this form having been found to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized, and the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described except as required by the scope of the appended claim.

0f the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal sectlon of an apparatus embodying the'principles of the present invention with its elevator in its lowest position.

Figure 2 represents a similar section with the elevator in its raised position.

Figure 3 represents an elevation of the left end of said apparatus. I A

Figure 4 represents an elevation of the right end thereof.

Figures 5 and 6 represent details of the means for locking the cover to the tank to make the latter airtight, and

(or. Edd-28) Figure 7 represents a horizontal section of a corner of the tank and showing means for raising the elevator by the means of a rotatable shaft.

Similar characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings, i d is a rectangular galvanized tank adapted to contain a cleansing oil or solvent andeliiaving at each corner thereof a supporting eg l The top of said tank is has hinged thereto a lid or cover 52 and beneath said lid i2 is a perforated elevator 83 preferably formed of wire screen.

Normally the elevator 63 is slightlfab ovfiiie bottom of thetank it and when the lid 82 is partially raised the elevator 63 will he raised to the top of said tank above the oil contained therein.

Beneath the bottom of tank in are disposed two double standard heating units it and these units are controlled by a thermostat it on one end of the tank iii. A thermometer it, Fig 2, is attached to the side of the tank it where it indicates the temperature of the oil bath.

Within the tank m is a bladed fan ll driven by a motor 18 secured to an end wall of the tank 86 and this fan H is enclosed in a wire screen casing I9.

During the rotation of the fan the tank is thoroughly agitated and forced toward the opposite end of the tank.

Beneath the motor i8 and secured to the end wall of the tank I0 is an air pump M by which air may be forced intothe oil in the tank and thereby increase the pressure thereof in order to secure better penetration.

The width of the elevator i3 is suflicient to support six Springfield rifles, all of which may be cleaned at the same time.

When the apparatus is in use ten gallons of oil are put into the tank and then this oil is heated to F.

The firearms or other articles to be cleaned are then placed on the elevator l3 and submerged in the hot oil, remaining in the oil for thirty .minutes, during which time the oil temperature will reach 200 F.

At the conclusion of this thirty minutes treatment the elevator or screen l3 will be, raisedsteam in the oil vapor and gradually cool and dry, thelid I! at this time. being raised enough n the oil in 3 to permit a sufiicient amount of cool air to enter the upper portion of the tank.

The firearms are then removed from the tank and transferred to suitable gun racks where they will drain toward the muzzles thereof. These gun racks may be of any well known construction.

When there is heavy corrosion on the firearms it is sometimes necessary to repeat the operation.

During this oil treatment the pores of the steel will open and absorb the oil and thus force powder residue and other particles out of the metal. Simultaneously with this action, any water occluded in the metal, or in the stocks and other parts of the firearms, will be expelled, and these actions, together with the fact that the expansion of the metal is greater than that of any scale, rust, or other deposit which may adhere to it, assists in throwing off all this foreign material. Later, when the parts cool, 011 still retained on the surfaces is forced into the microscopic pores and cells of the metal by the partial vacuum created in those pores and cells, due to the reduction in temperature, combined with the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere.

When the firearms are drained, a light film of oil remains on both the inner and outer surfaces of the firearms, thus protecting the weapons when in storage against any atmospheric change.

If the weapon is to be used at once it is only necessary to remove the excess oil from the outer surface of the firearm.

The bore of the weapon and its firing mechanism should not be touched.

When firearms are subjected to this oil bath the treatment will also preserve the gun stocks.

A pressure gauge 2| is mounted on one end of the tank ill by which the pressure of the air within the tank may be determined at any time and for safety a relief valve 22 is also mounted on the end'wall of the tank.

When a firearm has been discharged a number of times and has become foul, usually it has been necessary to clean the bore with a powder patch soaked in a solvent.

When the patch is removed it 'will be noticed that powder residue adheres to the patch.

If a firearm is treated to the oil bath as described and then cleaned with a fresh powder patch, it will be found that not only powder residue but also particles of metal fouling are on the patch, while at the same time the bore of the firearm will be perfectly clean, free from particles and coated with a thin film of oil.

Because the firearm is clean and covered with a thin oil film, it can be stored'with the assurance that it will be protected against rust and corrosion.

The tank I is provided near one end thereof with a filter cup 23 and a drain cock 28. By opening the cock 24, the oil may be drained from the tank.

The filter cup 23 will trap all dirt residue, metal fouling and all foreign particles while through the drain cook 24 on the bottom of the filter cup the tank maybe drained.

The lid or cover I2 is equipped with a gasket 28 and eccentric coacting clamping devices 26, 21

on said lid or cover I2 and the wall of the tank aeesnso thus providing a means for making the tank air tight when said cover is closed.

By means of this apparatus a plurality of firearms may be thoroughly cleaned at the same time.

A thin high-grade oil free from acid is used during the cleaning operation.

The process can be successfully used to clean machine guns, rifles, shotguns, pistols revolvers and also tools and small parts of motors.

In the tank In and near the rear wall thereof is a revoluble shaft 28 adapted to be rotated by means of a crank 28 and said shaft 28 is provided with two drums 30 on which may be wound chains 3|, the lower ends of which are connected to the opposite ends of the elevator l3, said chains passing over revoluble grooved pulleys 32.

The shaft 28 is also provided with a ratchet 33 and coacting with said ratchet is a spring pressed pawl 34 adapted to prevent the lowering of the elevator l8 when in any desired raised position.

It is believed that the operation and many ad-- vantages of the invention will be thoroughly understood without further description. 8

Having thus described my invention, I claim: The method of cleaning firearms consisting of submerging the same in an enclosed oil bath at a temperature of 190 F.; forcing said oil lengthwise of the enclosure; retaining the firearms in said bath for about thirty minutes while the oil is being agitated and its temperature is being raised to 200? E; increasing the pressure on the enclosed oil; then raising the firearms above the oil bath and steaming the firearms in the oil vapor; and allowing the firearms to cool and drain.

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aaranaucns crran 40 The following references are of record in the Number Name Date 122,681 Thompson Jan. 9. 1872 1,439,328 Ramsey et a1. Dec. 19,1922 1,733,192 Haber Oct. 29, 1929 1,771,698 Wolff July 29, 1930 1,807,677 Torson Junev 2, 1931 1,891,197 Andrews Dec. 13. 1932 2,006,636 Gerlach July 2, 1935v 2,011,107 Lape, Jr. Aug. 13, 1935 2,039,163 Graham et al. Apr. 28, 1936 2,057,388 Mackin pct. 13, 1936 2,070,872 Strindberg "Feb. 16, 1937 2,134,602 Cohen Oct. 9, 1937 2,108,489 Johnson et al. Feb. 15, 1938 2,121,361 Marran June 21, 1938 2,160,214 Jackson Apr. 30, 1939 30 2,168,746 Baal Aug. 8, 1939 2,243,093 Flahive Apr. 27, 1941 2,310,585 Lawson Feb. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 05 Number Country Date 580,899 Germany July 18, 1933 581,692 Germany --';Aug. 1, 1933 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

